System for simple nucleic acid analysis

Abstract

A system for simple nucleic acid analysis is described in which the amplification space contains at least a part of the binding space. An additional improvement is achieved by the design of the binding or / and amplification space which is optionally surrounded by a heatable metal layer.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]The present invention concerns a system for simple nucleic acid analysis.[0003]2. Description of the Related Art[0004]In the known systems for nucleic acid analysis, the nucleic acids are firstly bound in order to purify or isolate the analyte to be detected. The binding is usually carried out in vessels with relatively large volumes of several cm3 in order to hold the required amount of sample, binding buffer etc. for a sensitive detection. Since detection limits of 1 to 10 analytes per ml sample have to be achieved in the diagnostic field, correspondingly large amounts of sample and thus large reaction volumes are necessary for sensitive diagnostic methods. Smaller sample volumes lead to less sensitive methods and to the risk that the analyte to be detected does not happen to be present in the selected portion of the sample which is in fact positive and would lead to a false-negative diagnostic result.[0005]On the oth...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006]There is therefore a need for methods of nucleic acid analysis which can overcome the disadvantages of the known methods and which in particular have a high sensitivity and can reduce the technical complexity and time required for an analysis.

[0012]Due to the fact that the amplification is carried out in at least a part of the binding space it is possible to considerably improve the nucleic acid analysis with regard to the technical complexity and time required. According to the invention it is possible to use the same space or a part of the space for the immobilization as well as for the amplification and the sample, which is optionally mixed with other reagents, is passed through the binding space at least once and preferably several times for the immobilization.

Problems solved by technology

Since detection limits of 1 to 10 analytes per ml sample have to be achieved in the diagnostic field, correspondingly large amounts of sample and thus large reaction volumes are necessary for sensitive diagnostic methods.

Smaller sample volumes lead to less sensitive methods and to the risk that the analyte to be detected does not happen to be present in the selected portion of the sample which is in fact positive and would lead to a false-negative diagnostic result.

However, these devices require transfer of the isolated nucleic acids from one vessel into another which, however, involves additional measures and a risk of losing a part of or the entire analyte to be detected or of contaminating the sample during the transfer.

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